This study aimed to reconfirm the sex change scale and pattern of Tegillarca granosa. Although the sex ratio (female : male, female proportion) of T. granosa was 1:2.32 (30.2%) at the initial stage (2011) of the study, it was 1:0.94 (51.5%) after one year (2012) in the same population. The increase of the female proportion was greater in the 2+ year class (23.0%) when compared to the 1+ year class (19.2%). Overall, sex change ratio of 37.6% was observed in this population of T. granosa. The sex change ratio of the 2+ year class (39.3%) was higher than that of the 1+ year class (35.3%). And sex change ratio in the males (42.2%) was higher than that in the females (26.9%). The female proportion was the opposite of the result from 2006~2007, and one of the causes was presumed to be the difference in cumulative water temperature during the gonadal inactive stage (winter).

To identify viruses and compare their abundance levels in the venom glands of hymenopteran species, we conducted venom gland-specific transcriptome assemblies and analyses of 22 Aculeate bees and wasps and identified the RNA genomes of picornaviruses. Additionally, we investigated the expression patterns of viruses in the venom glands over time following capture. Honeybee-infecting viruses, including black queen cell virus (BQCV), deformed wing virus (DWV), and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), were highly expressed in the venom glands of Apis mellifera and social wasps. This finding suggests that the venoms of bees and wasps likely contain these viruses, which can be transmitted horizontally between species through their stinger usage. A. mellifera exhibited an increasing pattern of abundance levels for BQCV, DWV, IAPV, and Triatovirus, while the social wasp Vespa crabro showed increasing abundance levels of IAPV and Triatovirus over different capture periods. This suggests that the venom glands of honeybees and wasps may provide suitable conditions for active viral replication and may be an organ for virus accumulation and transmission. Some viral sequences clearly reflected the phylogeny of Aculeate species, implying host-specific virus evolution. On the other hand, other viruses exhibited unique evolutionary patterns of phylogeny, possibly caused by specific ecological interactions. Our study provides insights into the composition and evolutionary properties of viral genes in the venom glands of certain Aculeate bees and wasps, as well as the potential horizontal transmission of these viruses among bee and wasp species.

This study evaluated the risk of single and combined exposure to microplastics in zebrafish (Danio rerio) through biomarkers, such as survival rate, excretion rate, and histological alterations of organ systems. The experimental groups were the control (Cont.), single microplastics exposure group (MPs, 1.83%/fish total weight (g)), the copper group (Cu, 21.6 μg L-1), and a group with combined exposure to MPs and copper (MPs*Cu). The experiment was conducted with individual exposure (7 days) for MP excretion rate analysis and group exposure (14 days) for biomarker analysis. The daily excretion rate of MPs tended to decrease in a time-dependent manner. The copper concentration in the body was not significantly different between single and combined copper exposure. The degeneration of mucous cells in the skin, capillary dilation of the gill lamella, increased intestinal mucous, hepatocyte hypertrophy, and the degeneration of glomeruli and renal tubules were observed in all exposure groups. These histological alterations showed the highest tendency in the MPs*Cu group. In this study, the changes in biomarkers were attributed to the single effect of copper or the combined effect of copper and MPs rather than being solely influenced by MPs.

Since nuclear power plant (NPP) dismantling carries the possibility of radiation exposure from a hazardous environment, it’s important to minimize that by using a remote manipulator et al. However, due to complexity of nuclear facilities, it’s necessary for operators to increase their proficiency by operating in advance in a virtual environment. In this research, we propose a virtual manipulator system using a haptic device for NPP’s reactor vessel internals (RVI) dismantling which can realistically manipulate.

테트로도톡신(Tetrodotoxin)은 나트륨 통로를 차단하는 신경독소로 가장 오래되고 강력한 해양독소 중 하나이다. 전통적으로 아시아에서 복어 섭취로 인한 테트로도톡신 중독사고가 많이 발생했었다. 최근 아열대 복어 종과 그 잡종 섭취로 인한 테트로도톡신 중독사고가 아시아 외 지역에서도 산발적으로 발생하고 있다. 그러나 복어 종별 테 트로도톡신 및 유사체의 함량과 기관 내 분포에 대해서는 잘 알려져 있지 않다. 이 총설에서는 식품공전 복어독(테 트로도톡신) 분석법인 쥐를 이용한 생물학적 정량법, 효소 면역측정법, 고압 액체 크로마토그래피-형광검출기, 가스 크로마토그래피-질량분석기를 이용한 분석법의 장단점을 비교하였다. 또한 최근 주로 사용되는 액체 크로마토그래피-질량분석기를 이용한 테트로도톡신과 테트로도톡신 유 사체 분석법을 소개하고 이에 사용된 전처리법, 컬럼 및 이동상을 비교하였다. 또한 복어 종별 테트로도톡신과 그 유사체 함량과 다양한 기관에서의 분포를 정리하였다. 이 총설은 테트로도톡신 분석법과 다양한 복어 종의 테트로 도톡신과 유사체 함량 및 기관에서의 분포를 이해하는데 도움을 줄 수 있을 것이다.

Two infamous ant species, red imported fire ant (RIFA, Solenopsis invicta) and tropical fire ant (TFA, S. geminata), originated from South America are invading and harming many countries around the world. Among them, RIFA, known as one of the 100 world’s worst invasive alien species, has been discovered in South Korea; in Busan (Gamman CT) in 2017, and subsequently in Busan (Hutchison CT), Pyongtaek, Incheon and Daegu in 2018. With these relentless introduction of RIFA, South Korea is not safe no more from these ants and faces a risk of settlement. Our research goal is tracing the country origin of invasive populations of RIFA and TFA based on molecular epidemiological approach. We are conducting both microsatellite and genome-wide SNP analyses in order to derive a complementary interpretation. These two methodologies are expected to result in improved resolution in population genetics analysis. Nevertheless, this work needs collaboration of many countries belonging to the range of origin and invasion of RIFA and TFA. We will briefly introduce our research project and progress of collaboration research.

Incursions of red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis invicta into Korea have been increasing. After a first interception of a colony of S. invicta on Gamman pier, Pusan port while intensive surveillance by Animal & Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) in September 2017, three more RIFA colonies have been found in sea port piers of Pyeongtek, Incheon and Pusan cities. The social forms and mitochondrial DNA haplotypes of the intercepted RIFA colonies were analysed by allelic discrimination assay (peptide nucleic acid probe based RT-PCR) of Gp-9 gene and mt-DNA fragment of 768 bp, which is part of the Cytochrome oxidaseⅠ gene. The colony on Gamman pier, intercepted in Sep. 2017 was previously reported as a haplotype 5 (H5) of mitochondrial DNA and a social form of polygyne. The colony on Hutchison pier of Pusan port, intercepted in June 2018 were confirmed as a H22 haplotype and a monogyne. Those different social forms show different origins of each colonies. Those on piers of Pyeongtek and Incheon ports, also found in 2018 were confirmed samely as H22 and monogyne. However, it could be putatively assumed that those two colonies were differently introduced via different container cargoes, considering those colonies were found in container yards of distantly located different sea ports. More genetic variation analyses using diverse sets of molecular markers such as microsatellites, genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms, etc. in nuclear gens are being proceeded for more exact introduction routes (origins).

붉은불개미는 세계 100대 침입외래 해충 중의 하나로 우리나라에서는 관리 해충으로 1996년도에 지정되었다. 2017년 9월28일 부산항 감만 부두에서 국내 최초로 발견된 후, 2018년에 부산항, 평택항 과 인천항에서 발견이 되었고, 9월18일에 대구의 아파트 공사장에서 내륙에서는 처음으로 발견이 되었다. 대구에서 발견된 붉은불개미도 아파트 건설을 위하여 중국에서 수입한 석재에 혼합되어 수입된 토양과 식물체와 같이 혼입된 것으로 추측이 된다. 그러므로, 현재까지 국내에서 붉은불개미가 번식을 하여 토착화되었다는 증거는 없다. 현재까지 붉은불개미에 대한 종 판명은 전문가에 의한 형태적인 분류가 대부분이다. 그래서, 붉은불개미에 대한 확증을 위해서는 채집된 개체를 검역기관으로 이송하여 분자진단을 실시해야 하므로, 최소 이틀의 시간이 필요하다. 현재 항원항체 반응을 이용한 붉은불개미 진단 키트가 해외에서 개발되어 판매되고 있지만, 낮은 민감도로 최소 3~5개의 충체가 필요한 실정이다. 현재 판매되고 있는 진단키트가 가지는 문제점은 이를 대신할 새로운 키트의 개발이 필요함을 보여주고 있다. 신속한 붉은불개미의 검역현장에서 진단을 가능하게하기 위한 노력 중의 하나로 우리는 붉은불개미의 복부에서 발현되는 유전체에 대한 연구를 수행하였다. 본 발표에서는 그에 대한 현재까지의 연구 진행과 결과를 설명하도록 하겠다. (본 연구는 농림축산 검역본부의 연구비 지원으로 이루어졌음).

2003년 부산에서 처음 발견된 외래종인 등검은말벌(Vespa velutina)은 2018년 현재 전국적으로 확산되어 양봉을 포기하는 농가가 속출할 정도로 심각한 경제적 피해를 초래하고 있다. 말벌류의 방제는 유인 포획기를 사용하는 것이 가장 효과적인 방법으로 알려져 있다. 유인 포획기는 당 성분의 섭식 유인제에 1차 유인 포획된 말벌이 알람페로몬을 발산하면서 2차 유인을 여기하여 포획력을 극대화시키는 원리이다. 그러나 등검은말벌은 개체군 성장을 위해 단백질원이 필요하기 때문에 당성분의 휘발성 물질에 의존하는 유인제를 탑재한 기존 포획기만으로는 충분한 등검은말벌 개체 수 감소 및 방제에 한계가 있다. 본 연구에서는 이와 같은 문제점을 해결하여 등검은말벌 포획율을 향상시키고 말벌 피해로 인한 꿀벌 개체군 보호를 위하여 꿀벌통 일체형의 포획시스템을 개발하였다. 꿀벌 사냥 후 말벌집으로 회귀하는 습성, 최초 꿀벌 포획에 성공한 양봉장으로 회귀 후 지속적으로 사냥하는 습성, 어두운 곳에 있을 때 밝은 쪽을 선호하는 습성 등 다양한 생태 특성을 반영하여 시스템을 고안되었다. 즉, 최초 사냥성공 시 등검은말벌을 포획함으로 동일 개체에 의한 반복적 피해를 방지하는 새로운 방식의 포획법이다. 본 연구를 통해 개발된 포획시스템은 양봉 농가의 가장 큰 피해 요인인 말벌 사냥에 의한 꿀벌 개체수 감소를 방지함으로서 양봉 산업의 유지 및 발전에 기여할 것으로 기대된다.

Development and fecundity of the foxglove aphid, Aulacorthum solani (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were investigated at ten constant temperatures (photoperiod: 15L:9D) from 2.5 to 30℃ on soybean (Glycine max) leaves. The nymphs couldn’t emerge to adults at 2.5 and 30℃. The lower development temperature threshold and thermal constant of development completion estimated with a linear development model in nymph were 5.02℃ and 131.2 degree-days. The lethal temperatures were estimated as 33.9 and 32.5℃ with Lactin 2 and Logan 6 non-linear models, respectively. Mean generation time (from 78.4 to 11.8 d) decreased with increasing temperatures (from 7.5 to 27.5℃). The highest net reproductive rate (77.4) was observed at 20℃. The highest intrinsic rates of population increase (0.282) and shortest population doubling times (2.07 d) were recorded at 25℃.